we don't have forever
by not-that-fandom
Summary: percy/nico nico/anubis lots of drug use in later chapters. probable smut.
1. Chapter 1

"It's just not right, Percy!" Annabeth shouted, her stormy eyes brimming with tears. Percy clenched his jaw against the onslaught of accusations and angry shouts. Annabeth rarely cried. She was a strong girl, But apparently her conscious weighed on her more than it weighed on percy.

"Annabeth, I did it to save our asses."

"You went too far!"

"What else could i have done?!"

Annabeth gulped, rubbing her eyes. She shot one last angry glare at him and stormed away, struggling to maintain her dignity. Percy ran a calloused hand through his hair and sighed. He honestly had no idea what the fuss was about. He kept a miserly old goddess from killing both of them. So what if he had to control her bodily fluids? It had kept them alive, it sent the goddess sprinting away wailing curses, but annabeth wasn't having any of it. He watched annabeth's retreating back until she disappeared into her cabin, slamming the door. The last rays of sun disappeared behind the horizon, completely leaching the world of color. Crickets chirped cheerfully in the darkness. Percy turned on his heel and walked towards the lake, ignoring the little voice in the back of his head that said You're breaking curfew! Stop walking! Dionysus will turn you into a dolphin!

He sat on the sandy beach, far off in the corner where the woods met the white sand, hiding in the shadows of the trees where no one could see him. He touched his finger into the cool lake water, healing a few blisters and cuts from falling off the lava wall earlier in the day. He sulked in the darkness, cursing the gods for putting him through more anger and distraught, even after defeating Gaea. He was supposed to be happy. He was supposed to have a nice, quiet life with Annabeth right here in camp half-blood. He remembered her adamantly refusing to live in New Rome, claiming that she didn't feel right there. Percy scowled. The little voice was back. But you didn't want a quiet life did you? You want adventure. Admit it, you've been bored these past months, after the quest, after everything, You're bored.

They had only finished the quest three months ago. Leo had disappeared a week after coming back to camp, saying something about finding the island he was marooned on. Frank had to go back to New Rome because of his praetor duties, taking Hazel with him. Jason and Piper stayed at camp, and though they chatted regularly with percy, they spent most of their time together, alone. Coach Hedge lived in the forest with his family, and visited the camp often, waving his baseball bat and calling them all cupcakes. Nico had also stayed in camp, though Percy rarely saw the kid. He hardly ever showed up during meals. More than anything, Percy wanted to make up with the son of Hades. He had been Unfair. Nico had saved their asses more times than he could count, so why was he holding a grudge? If Nico hadn't hated spending time with other campers in the first place, he could've sworn the boy was avoiding him.

Percy must have dozed off, because a moment later, the tide came in and Percy was half submerged in water. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood up. percy watched the water lap up over his shoes, sad memories engulfing his brain. He shook his head, sending droplets of water flying, and started back towards camp. It must have been three in the morning.

He paused. There was a noise coming from the woods. It didn't sound natural. In fact, it sounded like a dying rabbit. It was a high keening sound, barely loud enough to hear. Percy considered ignoring it, but it was so quiet and miserable and too pitiful to bear. Percy pulled riptide from his pocket, uncapping it and peering into the darkness with the light of his sword. He saw nothing. There was nothing left to do but make his way to the source of the sound. He was barely two steps in when he saw a cat. it slinked out of the darkness like a shadow, into the bronze light. He had never seen a cat in these woods before. It was small and black, and it brought painful memories of small Bob. But the cat wasn't making a sound. The keening was coming from deeper the woods. Scooping the cat into his free arm, Percy raised riptide and edged closer, its dim light reflecting off the leaves. The dense foliage opened into a little clearing. Percy saw nothing. He was close to giving up and retreating back to camp, but he heard the high keening sound again. The cat struggled against his grip and ran across the clearing and into the shadows. The sound stopped abruptly. A low, broken voice spoke.

"Wren? Wren, what is it?"

Percy stepped back, startled, and nearly tripped over a log. A crack echoed through the woods as percy crushed a twig underfoot. The crickets stopped chirping. A dark figure that Percy had mistaken for a shadow stood up and moonlight shone on his pale features.

"Nico?" Percy asked.

The boy seemed to materialize in front of him, almost making Percy fall again.

"What are you doing here, Jackson?" Nico hissed, the cat- Wren- perched on his shoulder. he gripped his black sword tightly in his hand, his knuckles white. Percy blinked. He hadn't seen him up close for- well, three months. The kid looked thinner than ever, his eyes sunken and his cheekbones sharp. Percy saw that his eyes were a little red and puffy. Like an idiot, the first thing he said was, "What's with the cat?"

Nico said nothing. He stared at percy in utter disbelief, as if unsure if he should answer or run him through with his sword. "His name is Wren?" Percy ventured, when Nico showed no signs of responding.

"She." muttered Nico. he took a step back, but his sword was still raised and ready to stab him.

"Never seen a cat around here."

Nico glared at him. "Why do you care?"

Percy frowned, remembering that he wanted to make up with the kid, and this was likely to be his only chance.

"I just care." percy paused and asked, "Were you crying?"

wrong question.

Nico's face twisted into a grimace and he stalked off, back into the woods, with the cat still pacing his shoulders. His sword glinted as he pushed it back through his belt.

"Nico- NICO!" But the boy had vanished. percy was reminded of the time nico had run away screaming hateful words all those years ago, when Percy had admitted that his sister was dead.

He cursed himself inwardly and made his way slowly back to camp, kicking stones and staring up at the starry sky.

Percy jolted awake, clutching at his pale blue sheets. he was sweaty and a bit cold. His black hair was plastered to his forehead. He pulled his sheets up against his chest. The sun was just barely rising, which meant he had been asleep for less than two hours. He rolled over without realizing that he was at the very edge of the bed, and fell to the floor, landing roughly on his face. Deciding that going down for some bacon would be the best way to heighten his mood, percy dragged himself up and pulled on a shirt.

Nico di angelo was not seen at all that day. This wasn't unusual, since he was rarely seen by anybody, but Percy worried about last night ,knowing that he had upset him. He cringed at the memory of him storming off into the woods. He should have stopped Nico. He should have forced him to listen, even though Nico probably thought the only thing Percy cared about was the cat. Percy resolved to make up with the ghost king later. But for now, with Annabeth at her table chewing on a small slice of pizza and throwing him filthy looks, he would stay here and train at the lava wall.

Percy went to Nico's cabin after lunch. There were little holes in his shirt where flecks of lava had landed, and his eyebrows were singed. The cabin was all glossy obsidian and shadows, and it terrified the other campers, who stayed well away from it. He knocked on the door and waited. There was a thump and incoherent muttering. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing an extremely groggy looking Nico. Percy gasped and bit the inside of his cheek, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth.

Nico stood in the doorway, grumpy and sour, but that wasn't what Percy was looking at. Nico was shirtless, revealing just how thin he had become. Ribs stood out sharply against his translucent, pallid skin. Percy could make out white scars that ran up nicos chest and shoulders. His arms were a bit muscled from constant sword fighting, but they were too slender. His fingers were long and skeletal. He wore black skull-and-crossbones pajama pants, which would have been cute if they hadn't hung so loosely over his hips. Nico shifted self consciously.

"Hey, eyes up here sea man," Nico snapped. Percy swallowed. Nico's features had been blurred in the darkness of last night and percy couldn't have seen his face clearly. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes glinted dangerously in his sunken sockets. On top of that, he looked utterly exhausted. His dark glossy hair was tousled and curled around his ears. there were dark shadows under his drooping eyes, and his mouth was set in a tired scowl. Percy saw a glint in the dark room behind him. Nico's sword hung off a leather strap that was nailed to the wall next to the door. the metal was dark and glittered like nicos eyes.

"Percy, are you okay?" Nico peered at him with concern. Percy realized that his mouth was slightly agape and he quickly closed it.

"Am I okay?" Percy exclaimed. "Have you seen yourself lately?"

Perhaps it was the fact that Nico always wore his heavy aviator jacket or a hoodie on warmer days, but Percy should have noticed Nicos weight. He should have seen it earlier, even from far away, he should have seen it in his face or his thin hands. Nico glowered at him.

"I'm fine." He began to close the door.

Percy stuck a foot out as Nico slammed the door on it.

Percy groaned, his eyes watering. Nico sighed, opening the door again. "Percy, what do you want?"

"I came to apologize," Percy muttered, withdrawing his foot and leaning against the doorframe. Nico raised a slender eyebrow. "For last night."

"Really? Well, what did you do wrong?" Nico shifted his weight onto one foot, crossing his arms. Percy frowned.

"I shouldn't have upset you. and the cat," Percy said.

"Upset me?" Nico's eyes narrowed.

"Well- I mean-," percy stuttered, taken off guard by the look in Nico's eyes. "Why were you crying then?"

A painful look flashed across Nicos face before it twisted into a sneer. "What's it to you Jackson? You gonna take care of me? You gonna let me cry into your shoulder?"

Percy felt anger heat his cheeks. What was this guy's problem? He came here to apologize, all Nico had to do was accept it. Percy showed a little concern and he was met with scorn. Nico was about to close the door again when Percy grabbed his hand and threw the door open. Nico tugged against Percy's grip. "Let- go- Jackson!"

"Nico, why aren't you talking to anyone? I get it if you dont want to see the others, but what about me? Annabeth?"

"It's none of your fucking business!" Nico yelled. Campers were starting to peer out the windows of their cabins, wondering at the shouts.

"I just wanted you to take care of yourself! I know its not my job to look after your skinny ass. I'm not your mother Nico!" Nico froze. His eyes were terrifying and Percy felt his hand suddenly turn cold in his grasp.

"What did you say to me?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"I- what?"

"My mother, Jackson. She's dead. She died years ago in a fancy four star hotel. Do you think i'm just pining for a new mother? Do you think i want a replacement?"

"No- I just-"

"I don't want your intimacy, Jackson." nico's voice was rising, along with percy's temper. "Or your stupid sympathy."

"That's not what I said!"

Nico grabbed his sword from the leather strap with his free hand, the other still locked in Percy's grip.

"What do you want from me then, Jackson?!" Nico brought his sword down on Percy's hand, but the other boy jerked his arm away and uncapped his own sword. Percy was angry, and all of his rage was directed at Nico. Percy backed out of the cabin and Nico followed, into the warm sunlight. Nico looked awfully out of place in the sun, with his white skin and pajama pants. The kid probably belonged in the dark. He was also shaking with rage. He lunged, but Percy blocked easily. He stepped forward, almost managing to disarm him, but nico had gotten faster. He twisted out of reach and swung his sword, nicking Percy's forearm. He recoiled, expecting the stygian iron to suck his life from his body. Nothing happened. The cut stung, as if it it had been from celestial bronze. Percy's eyebrows furrowed and he looked up. Little waves of cold were rolling off the son of Hades. He stood in a circle of dead grass. his face was twisted in a snarl and his blade was raised. His eyes seemed a bit red.

It was this redness that softened Percy. Even if nico was being a bit of an dick, they still shouldn't be fighting. And Percy had provoked him and made him fight shirtless and barefoot. Nico should be mad, but certainly not this mad. Campers from the lunch tables had already formed a loose circle around the pair. A few even seemed to be placing bets. Annabeth stood to his right, her arms crossed and her expression stormy. Her dagger hung at her hip.

Percy sighed and raised his arms. "Nico, look-"

He stumbled back. Nico had thrown his sword like a javelin and had caught on the sleeve of Percy's t-shirt, impaling itself into the side of the Hades cabin and forced Percy back a few steps. He had no idea just how much the kid had been practicing. He stared at Nico, shocked. In fact, all the campers were shocked. A few groaned, mumbling about lost drachmas. Percy raised his hand, scrabbling for the sword, but it was stuck fast. A spot of blood appeared where the sword had cut him, but he still didn't feel the sword killing him like it should have. Nico strode forward and brought his face very close to Percy's. And for once, Percy was scared of the skinny, barefoot boy in pajama pants.

"Don't fuck with me Jackson." Nico grinned, but it was a terrifying grin, manic and humorless and cruel. He took the hilt of the sword and for a moment their fingers touched, and again Percy felt just how cold the boy's hands were before Nico wrenched the blade from the cabin wall. He stomped back inside, slamming the door, and percy stared after him with mingled feelings of terror, relief, and confusion.


	2. Chapter 2

Nico had been picking a splinter for the past ten minutes. The cabin was illuminated with a dim green light from the torches on the wall. Nico winced. The splinter finally broke free from his flesh, leaving behind a droplet of blood. He glanced at the jagged little wood person Hazel had made for him before leaving with frank._ Take care of yourself_ she had said.

He fell back on his ridiculously large bed. He was still shirtless, though he had pulled on socks after washing the dirt and grime off his feet. Nico cringed, remembering his irrational anger. He shouldn't have been able to beat Percy. Maybe if Percy had actually felt like hurting him, Nico would have lost. But Percy had seemed slower than he should have been, or maybe Nico's rage had made him faster and more skilled. Nico sighed and turned his head to look at his sword on the ground where he had thrown it after storming in. It had a fleck of Percy's blood on it. Above the black blade his stygian iron sword hung off his belt where it was dangling on a nail. He used the black sword when he needed to spar with other campers in case he cut them. He remembered Percy staring at his little wound on his arm as if it had been cut in half. He would never use his stygian sword against a comrade, least of all Percy. Still, it helped in friendly fights when your opponent was terrified of getting hit, so he never told anyone about his spare sword.

Maybe Nico threw all his bottled rage at Percy, even if it wasn't his fault. And maybe Nico felt a little guilty about cutting percy. Percy probably thought he was going to crumble into dust right about now. Nico flinched at how scared he seemed. Nico hated the way Percy backed away from him, But he was too jealous and angry and miserable to care much. He shied away from the other campers, taking little food from the cafeteria at night and sulking alone in his cabin.

Nico thought of last night, when Percy had seen him in the woods. That little clearing was one of the only places Nico would go to besides the dining hall and his cabin. It was where he rose the dead and sparred with them and stared up at the stars. Nico would not go back there, now that Percy knew where it was. He would find someplace new.

He stood up, grabbing a pair of black jeans. His wallet still sat in one of the pockets, secured to a silver chain. He grabbed his belt, pulling out the pants had gotten looser over the past few weeks. Percy was right about one thing. He was getting thinner by the day. He threw on a black t-shirt and pulled on his aviator jacket, finding a little comfort in the smooth leather. He felt in the pocket, pulling out his silver skull ring and slipping it on. even the ring was a little looser on his slim finger. He closed his eyes and turned on his heel, disappearing into a cloud of black smoke.

Nico stumbled, suddenly surrounded with mist. Shadow traveling always made him a bit weak at the knees. Nico straightened and peered into the fog. he wondered if this was the right graveyard. He had tried to travel to his mothers grave, but this didn't look like the same one. It shouldn't be this foggy or cold. It was only two in the afternoon. Nico pulled out his sword and headed towards where his mother's grave should be. The mist was so dense and white, he walked right into the tombstone. Nico kneeled down, his sword still raised, and looked down at his mother's name.

"Hi mom," he murmured. He let his sword drop. Nico reached out and brushed pale fingers against his mother's name. She had been beautiful, full of light and warmth. He saw a bit of her every day when he looked in the mirror. Nico had inherited her glossy hair and thin face. He had her dark eyes, though his had lost all their warmth, replaced by anger and bitterness.

Nico grimaced, willing tears away. Bianca didn't have a grave. She no longer existed. She stopped existing to mortals when she accepted artemis's offer at becoming a hunter. She stopped existing at all when she was reborn into another life. The day she died was the first time Nico had been so _angry. _The first time he felt betrayed and so alone he could hardly breathe. Then Nico noticed a pair of pale feet wrapped in black leather sandals just a few feet behind his mother's gravestone. Swallowing hard, he looked up and his throat closed. Standing above him was a anomaly of a dog. It looked a bit like a german shepard, if you only saw its head. It melted smoothly into the shoulders and torso of a man. It also seemed to be wearing a skirt.

Nico was close to panicking when the air around him shimmered, and the dog man turned into a teenage boy with a black leather jacket and ripped jeans. He had tousled black hair and warm brown eyes that held the sadness of a thousand years. Nico scrambled back, grabbing at his sword.

"What are you?" he demanded, raising his sword. The boy frowned.

"You can see me?" he asked. He looked nico over, noting every detail. "That's not a magician's tool."

"What? Tell me who you are. Or I swear I will run you through." Nico clambered to his feet, weapon raised. The boy's frown deepened.

"What kind of metal is that?" he asked, reaching towards his sword. Nico stepped back, unsure. Most monsters could sense the underworld on his blade.

"Tell me who you are," Nico repeated. The boy turned his gaze from the sword, which glinted dimly in the mist, looking at nico in fascination.

"I am Anubis. Tell me who _you _are."

Nico scowled, confused. his mind raced with creatures, trying to pin one onto the dark boy that stood before him. "Anubis? What is that, Roman? Greek?"

"Egyptian," Anubis said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you not a magician?"

"_What?"_ The boy- Anubis- looked as bewildered as nico felt. "No! What are you talking about?"

In his confusion, Nico's blade dropped, pointing to the dying grass.

"What is your name, boy?"

"Nico," he snapped. "Nico di Angelo."

"And what are you, if not a magician?" Anubis peered into his eyes curiously.

"A demigod, obviously," Nico said. "Can't you smell it on me?"

"A demigod." he sniffed. "Indeed, you do smell peculiar."

Nico examined anubis's face, suddenly stunned. Anubis was beautiful. His skin was smooth and pale as bone. There were four studs in his ears. he had a strong jaw and delicate features, though the most startling was his eyes. They held a certain melancholy that Nico could understand only too well. He pointed his sword at anubis, struggling to remember a monster that had a dog's head. He came up with nothing. _A spirit? _he thought.

"But what _are _you?" Nico demanded again.

Anubis scowled. "You mean you still do not know? Fine. I am the god of funerals. I measure the souls of mortals and assist Osiris in judging them."

"You're a god? _You? _there aren't any funeral gods named Anubis! There aren't any funeral gods at all! And who's Osiris?

"He is the god of death!" Anubis said, clearly offended. "The king of the underworld! Sadie's dad!"

"_King of the underworld?"_ Nico said in disbelief. "Hades is _my_ father! And I don't have other siblings."

_Besides Hazel _he thought_. A_nubis recoiled, as if Nico's words had stung him.

"Hades is not my master. He's _greek._ Hades-," he paled further. "You- demigod! You're one of _them._"

"Yeah. Haven't I said that already? What are-?" But Anubis wasn't listening. He was muttering frantically to himself, wringing his hands. Mist swirled, hugging the god's body and lingering in his shadow.

"That smell... I smelled it on Carter last week. Something about a crocodile and one of _you_, a demigod, this is not good-"  
Nico snapped his fingers under the god's nose, annoyed. "Gods, i will run you through so help-"

"Alright!" Anubis looked nervous, twisting a lock of his hair with thin, tapered fingers. "I'm an egyptian god, yeah? I'm not from your little universe. Our gods, our religions- they're different from yours. They're Egyptian."

Nico waited. "_And?_"

The god glanced down at Nico's sword again. "What sort of metal is that?"

"It's stygian iron," Nico said irritably. "Forged by the cyclops, cooled in the river Styx."

"The Styx," murmured Anubis. Fascination creeped back into his eyes. "And who's your father again?"

"Hades," Nico said. The god's eyes widened.

"I shouldn't be here," the god said.

"What do you mean? You've hardly said a thing yet," Nico said angrily. This dog god was getting distracted easily and Nico still wanted answers.

Anubis smiled a little, and even though the smile was half hearted and sad, it gave Nico a peculiar tingly feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Stupid, _Nico thought irritably.

"Nico-" He lowered his sword at the sound of his name on the god's lips. "You have to understand, the Egyptians and the Greeks, even the Romans- our worlds haven't been in contact. Ever. No one knows what would happen. Our underworlds overlap like multiple dimensions, they just cant _touch. _And we're from separate hells. I don't know what would happen. It's probably a good thing you haven't stabbed me yet. I don't know if your weapons would hurt me."

Nico's head buzzed a little. It wasn't that he was surprised. He had heard Chiron say multiple times that all gods existed in some way, all religions took on some form, blah blah. He never imagined he would _meet_ anyone from the other side.

"You cannot relay this to anyone," said Anubis. His voice was low and urgent. He took a few steps back, stirring the fog.

Nico was unpleasantly reminded of traveling between the romans and greeks, keeping quiet and never telling one about the other. He supposed this was much the same.

"Right. Fine." He slid his sword through his belt. Anubis's shoulders relaxed and exhaled heavily, as if he had been holding his breath.

"One thing," Nico said.

"And what would that be?"

"Why did you come here? In front of me, right behind that gravestone?"

"Ah, that." Anubis looked sheepish, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "you see, there hasn't been a mortal in this part of the graveyard in ages. And i enjoy watching visitors. The strange sentiment of mortals fascinates me."

"So you hide behind bushes and watch people cry."

"I suppose I do." The dog god raised a hand in a farewell gesture. His eyes gleamed. "Bye Nico, son of Hades. I hope I never see you again."

Nico tensed, slightly offended. Anubis laughed quietly, a soft throaty sound like a cat's purr, and Nico was dazed. He blinked and saw that Anubis had let his form slip into the dog-headed boy in a skirt and then he vanished, leaving behind a wisp of dense mist and the smell of pomegranates.


	3. Chapter 3

It was dark in the underworld. Nico's bedroom was lit with a single torch. He sat on his bed, which was even larger than the one back at camp. Nico often wondered why Hades would give him a bedroom in the underworld. He had strange ways of showing affection. Like the pile of precious gems that tended to pop up once in a while and scattered the floor, piling in corners. Hades called it his "allowance." Nico kicked a ruby and sent it rolling across the floor. It came to a stop next to his dresser. He couldn't do anything with the gems, so they became nothing more than decorations. The thought of trying to pay for a soda at the camp store with a diamond was terrifying. There was some sort of magical ventilation system that replaced the stale breath and the torch's smoke with fresh air. His bedspread was black, and made of shiny silk. His headboard was made of obsidian and studded with diamonds. The room had no doors or windows, but Nico didn't mind because he could easily walk through one of the walls and into Hades's throne room, or shadow travel out.

He wondered if anubis had his own room in _his_ underworld. Maybe percy had one too, in his father's underwater palace. Nico wrinkled his nose at the name. Percy jackson. Even when fighting, his eyes were warm and kind and Nico hated it, he hated how loudly his heart thumped and the way his hands turned cold. As much as he despised admitting it, he could barely fight off the blush that threatened to warm his cheeks whenever Percy looked over at him during lunches in the cafeteria. To will the pink flush away, he would imagine the way Percy looked at Annabeth and how he always hovered over her protectively and Nico would feel the breath rush from his lungs and his lips would twist into a scowl. It was the most painful thing in the world, forcing himself to remember that Percy would never feel the same and Nico hated how he thought Percy would recoil in disgust if he ever knew. Nico made sure he never found out, and he lived among the dead, who were as bitter and angry as Nico, because Percy deserved to be happy and he didn't need to know that the skinny goth kid that he saved from a manticore so many years ago had a crush on him. But Nico was angry and cold and it was hard not to all on Annabeth. The girl who had the one thing Nico wanted and she had unintentionally sent him to his own personal hell. He was forced to watch them laugh and share secret glances together and Nico could do nothing but look away and keep his expression blank. But he couldn't always shield his gaze and he would see them and a voice in his head would say _look, look at the boy you love and the girl who took him away, _though Nico knew he couldn't have Percy even if Annabeth had never found him because Percy wasn't gay.

Then they had gone and fallen into Tartarus and when they had come back, Nico noticed that they talked less and laughed less and rarely looked at each other, and he hated how his heart lightened when he saw this, because he should want Percy to be happy. But Nico couldn't make Percy happier or give him the quiet life he probably wanted because Tartarus changes you and you can never ever change back.

Something strange had occurred that day. Nico had never looked twice at anyone other than Percy. Of course he could appreciate beauty and he always felt a little tug in his heart when someone had percy's laugh or had the same dark hair or green eyes. So he wondered why he felt so strange when he had seen Anubis. The god was beautiful, but Nico had met beautiful gods before and he knew that Anubis was beautiful in a new way that was completely foreign to Nico, maybe because he was never meant to see the god of funerals and they lived in two different worlds. Nico shouldn't have felt a thing because he looked nothing like Percy and Nico could never force himself to look at another soul and make his heart thump in his ears the way it did when he saw Percy. The god had managed just that and Nico would not see him again because he was not supposed to meet the god in the first place, and any chance of escaping Percy and Annabeth and his own anger had disappeared along with the god, back to whatever dimension he came from.

It was like the universe was shoving all if its own misery down Nico's throat and it was all around him, and it suffocated him. All Nico could do now is learn hate Percy Jackson and it seemed impossible because Percy was all nico had ever known. And then Nico's walls broke and his shoulders slumped and tears dripped from his eyes for the first time in what seemed like forever.


	4. Chapter 4

Percy struck again, crossing swords with Clarisse. The girl smirked, pushing back against him, her sword dangerously close to cutting off his fingers. He cursed. Percy had felt weaker since Nico had gotten the best of him. He jumped back, too slow, and Clarisse slammed the flat of her blade against his chest, sending him flying.

"You're getting rusty, Jackson," she snickered, and walked away. Her heavy footsteps echoed loudly in Percy's ears. He sat up and glared at his sword. Maybe he _was_ getting rusty. But what were the chances his sword fighting would weaken the moment he fought Nico di Angelo? Percy knew he should've won. He had always been the better fighter. So what had gone wrong that day?

He grimaced. _You should've talked to him, not fought him, _he scolded himself. He rose to his feet. Nico had been locked in his cabin for the past two days. Percy wondered what he could possibly be doing. He supposed Nico could be asleep, but the dark shadows under his eyes said otherwise. He remembered how sharp Nico's ribs had looked under his skin, and his chest clenched with worry. Percy knew it was his job to help Nico, since no one else would. But the son of Hades would accept no help, and as much Percy hated to admit it, he was shaken by the way Nico had grinned at him, cold and terrifying. Percy pictured Nico's mouth, and his grin suddenly seemed less insane and more painful, like his very soul hurt. Percy could feel nothing but pity. Nico must be lonely, spending all his time with translucent skeletons and Hades. Percy resolved to improve Nico's health, even if he couldn't improve his life. It was right then and there that helping Nico became Percy's mission. He capped his sword and started towards the washrooms, deciding a long cold shower would help him plot a way to sneak out food.

Percy wolfed down dinner in a hurry, tossing more than half of it into the campfire for the gods. He downed his goblet of blue coke, ignoring the stares of the other campers. He brought the dishes to the sink in the kitchen and tossed them in the soapy water. Knowing that the harpies were outside shrieking at the other campers whenever someone dropped food on the floor, he stuffed a silver goblet up his shirt and filled a clean plate with grapes and a slice of roast beef. Stumbling slightly under the heavy silver dishes, he rushed back to his cabin before anyone caught him.

Percy sat on his blue bedsheets, looking at his reflection in the round silver goblet. He wondered idly how much trouble he would get in for stealing the dishes. Maybe Chiron wouldn't care as long as Nico was getting what he needed. Percy shook his head, snapping himself from his thoughts. Nico's health came first. Why anyone didn't notice the boy's health, he didn't know. But Percy intended to do his best to get Nico to a proper weight again, and if bringing food to his doorstep was the only way to do that, then that's what was going to happen. He checked the shining clock on the wall, above the dresser where the plate of food sat. There was about half an hour until curfew and the campers would be sent to bed. With a sigh, Percy rolled onto his face, inhaling the slightly salty scent of his bedspread.

It was past midnight when Percy jerked awake. He cursed, scrambling out of bed, his hair tangled and a thin line of drool tracing it way cross his cheek. Thoughts of Annabeth invaded his mind when he raised a hand, rubbing it away. _You drool when you sleep._ Percy irritably pushed away the unwanted thoughts. He would fix his relationship with Annabeth. He was sure of it. Percy had to think that or he would lose his mind.

He took the gleaming dishes in his hands and crept quietly out the door, wincing at the audible creak. He tiptoed towards the Hades cabin which was nestled in a few tall pine trees. Percy set the plate and goblet outside the cabin on the dark steps in front. He looked up at the door and stifled a scream when he saw the pale skull above the it, glowing dimly in the green torchlight. He scowled at it and turned away. He knew Nico would know how to use the goblet, having used it during the few occasions he showed up at dinner. Percy started quietly back to his cabin, looking forward to a few more hours of sleep. The skull above Nico's doorway grinned after him.

Percy slept restlessly for three hours after that, dreaming of Tartarus and monsters and Annabeth's voice whispering _it was your fault. _It's been like this for weeks, where he would bolt awake multiple times a night, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead, and it showed on his face, with bruise-like shadows under his eyes. But he was thankful that they weren't nearly as dark as Nico's. He pulled on socks and shoes and a clean shirt and left the cabin. Percy passed the dark obsidian cabin and saw that the goblet was no longer there, which lifted his spirits a little. Either Nico had taken it or the harpies had, but he chose to believe the former, because the harpies didn't come out at night that often anymore. The plate still sat there though, but the grapes and meat were eaten and gone. Percy picked it up. It looked as if it had been licked clean. Percy grinned, and tucked it under his arm, intending to drop it in the sink later. No one was making a fuss at the cafeteria, which meant that no one noticed that the goblet was gone, which meant he and Nico were undiscovered and safe.


	5. Chapter 5

Nico visited the graveyard every day after that. He didn't see Anubis there anymore, but Nico told himself he didn't care. The graveyard was enormous, and his mother rested right at the edge near a dense area of woods. She was one of the few located there, and the others around her were forgotten and crumbling. Nico liked it here, but it started to be a little bit foggy since the day he met Anubis. He figured it was just a trace of the gods power. Greek gods often left behind traces of their power as well.

Nico knelt by his mother's gravestone, pulling blades of grass from the ground.

"It's cold," he murmured. Wisps of cool fog dances around his mother's grave and made rainbows in the faint sunlight. He sighed and sat down, next to the cool stone that had Maria di Angelo's name etched into its surface. The air suddenly seemed warmer, as if his mother was responding, like she felt him there. He leaned into the warmth as if it were a mother's embrace, resting his head gently against the stone. And he gazed sadly at the hundreds of graves, spread out over rolling hills, with his mother at his side.

He fell into a doze and only jerked awake at the eerie hoot of an owl. The sun had set long ago, and his skull ring glinted under the bright stars. He gazed up at the sky, picking out constellations and making up a few of his own, the way he and his mother had shown him when he was little. Bianca had rarely joined them, preferring to stay indoors with the television and her piles of books. He could barely remember his mother's face now, though he knew her to be beautiful and gentle and soft.

Somehow he was still draped in a blanket of warmth though it was well after dark now and Nico could hear the sounds of trees swaying in the wind. Nico stood up, combing his hair with slim fingers and securing his sword to his belt. He took one last look at his mother before turning on the spot and dissolving into shadow.

Nico stared at the dim gleam of the goblet. He had found it a few days ago, along with a plate of rich food that could only have come from the camp mess hall outside his cabin. Chiron must have noticed his weight. The old centaur had a fatherly air about him, and would never allow campers to go hungry. Nico appreciated it, since he was a little tired of stealing the food in the night like a beggar. He usually ate underworld food, but the stuff made him hyperactive and giggly.

Nico thought hard of sweet fruits and berries and the goblet suddenly filled with a fruit smoothie. He sipped it idly, and headed to the door knowing a plate of tonight's dinner would be waiting outside, as it did twice a day. It was was full of barbeque chicken and fat red strawberries this time. Nico wrinkled his nose. he never really liked chicken. He ate the strawberries, tossing the green leafy stems into his trashcan. He clutched the warm plate in his hand and decided to give it to Ms.O'leary. Nico turned on his heel, careful not to drop the chicken, and turned into shadow.

Her home in the underworld was dark and humid. The hellhound accepted the meat eagerly, swallowing it in a single bite. Nico wrestled the plate from her jaws and patted her nose, smiling slightly. He sighed, sitting down and setting the plate on his lap. His reflection in the shining metal was distorted and warped with Ms.O'leary's bite marks. they were in a small, clean section of the underworld, which nico had convinced hades to give to Ms.O'leary. She whined and shuffled and Nico felt a stab of pain in his chest. She wanted Percy. Of course she did. Percy had never visited his hellhound, and her only visitors were Nico and the skeletons that brought her food. She could visit the world above sometimes, but not often, because Hades thought it was strange that someone had tamed the enormous dog so easily and he didn't trust that she would behave. The thought of the hellhound staying in this little plot of land for eternity made Nico's blood boil. This was his hellhound more than Percy's. The least he could do is visit. The hellhound had saved Percy's butt on more than one occasion. She plopped down with a loud thump and rested her great shaggy head on her paws mournfully.

"I know girl," Nico murmured. "It hurts to be forgotten doesn't it?"

She huffed, watching him with beady black eyes. Nico smiled at her and stood. He scratched behind the hellhound's ears before disappearing with a wisp of dense black smoke. Ms.O'leary whined after him, longing for the master she hadn't seen for a very long time.

Nico tried to hammer out the dents in the plate as best he could. He sighed irritably. The plate was still warped and shining with dog saliva and no longer useable. He gave up tossing the plate to the side, where it landed with a thump on one of his armchairs. His cabin was as dark as the sky outside. The clock told him it was two in the morning. He exhaled loudly, and even though he had been asleep for most of the day, he was tired. It was unusual that a fifteen year old boy could be so fatigued, but Nico was an odd teenager and had seen more than many adults would in their entire lifetime. He rubbed his eyes wearily and looked at his clothes. They were wrinkled and dusty and in need of a wash. In fact, nico _himself _ was in need of a wash. He didn't like going to sleep this filthy. He started to his closet and tossed a pair of pajama pants and a shirt over his shoulder. Too tired to shadow travel to the underworld showers, he had to use the camp stalls and nico lacked the self confidence to shower with other campers around him. But it was probably past curfew now and he would be under the cover of darkness. He stepped quietly out of his cabin, barely making a sound as he jogged to the showers.

The shower was cold and short, but Nico didn't care much. He lathered his dark hair in scented shampoo and watched as pink bubbles slid lazily into the drain.

Cold wind tousled his hair as he padded back to his cabin. He stood for a moment in the doorway, under the green torches. Despite the icy temperature, he felt oddly at ease as he looked up at the full moon that illuminated the other cabins. His mind flooded with memories of Bianca springing through the woods like a silver deer, chasing after the other hunters. His heart ached and he felt his breath catch. He heard a faint _clip clop_ in the distance, like someone clicking their teeth. Startled out from his thoughts, Nico looked towards the strawberry fields, spotting a white horse with an upper body of a man where it's neck should be. Nico squinted, struggling to make out the centaur's face. The tangled beard and chin length hair told him it was Chiron. The centaur had a leather bag slung over his shoulder and his bow gripped tightly in his hand. He seemed to be heading towards the woods. Chiron was obviously going out, though to where, Nico had no idea. Judging by his heavy brown jacket and the size of his bag, he was going to be out for a while. Knowing it was really none of his business, Nico turned away from the brightness of the moon and closed the door quietly. A tiny figure darted inside the cabin before the door could shut. Nico spun around and saw a little black mound on his bed that was barely distinguishable from the black sheets. Nico raised an eyebrow.

"Where have you been?" he said fondly, finally shutting the door with a _click_. The mound let out a squeaky mew. He sighed and shuffled towards the bed, pulling the silky covers over himself, nearly pushing wren off. The cat chattered indignantly.

"Shut up," Nico said, yawning. His mind wandered as he tried to fall asleep, drifting from Bianca to the moon to the hunters to Chiron. Nico wondered how long the old centaur would be gone and realized that he wouldn't be getting daily meals. Nico didn't mind. It was a huge kindness for Chiron to take the time to bring him food instead of dragging Nico out to the mess hall and making him eat with other campers. Not that he hated the others, but rather they hated him. Nico could live off underworld food for a few days. He felt Wren kneading a nest for herself in the blankets. Pulling the covers up to his chin, he drifted into a restless sleep.

It was noon when nico woke up to the smell of cat litter. He sneezed, realizing that Wren had made her way to his face and was snoozing soundly. She jerked awake and stood, her tiny claws digging into his cheeks and scalp. Nico groaned and sat up, throwing Wren from her perch on his face. She mewed reproachfully and slinked to the edge of the bed and sat down, licking her black paws. Nico ignored her, staring absently at his pallid arms. They were not as skinny as they were before he started getting food from Chiron, but they were still thin and unhealthy looking. Nico wondered if he should try tanning. He threw his feet over the edge of his bed and nearly crumpled to the floor.

"Stupid weak knees," he muttered, standing carefully and pulling off his shirt. Realizing that all his clean shirts were in the underworld, he pulled on a hoodie that rubbed roughly against his skin. He put on jeans that no longer hung loose on his hips and slid his silver ring onto his index finger. He examined the ring, surprised that there was not a single scratch on it.

Too lazy to shadow travel, he decided to use the camp washrooms again. It was noon and everyone was on the grounds, almost none of them in their cabins. It was unlikely that there was anyone in the bathroom now. The air was warm and smelled like pine trees. He made his way to the bathrooms and stood in front of the line of sinks. It was silent but for the quiet drip of the sinks and the showers and toilets. The place was filthier than he had originally thought, maybe because hundreds of campers used it that morning. He looked at his reflection in the cracked mirror, seeing that his cheeks were fuller and his frame was not as bony or frail. The camp food had done a lot for him over the past week or so. Nico made a mental note to thank Chiron when he got back from wherever he had gone. But as Nico stared at himself, he also saw that his eyes were lifeless and black, and his face was colorless. The constant supply of food had repaired his physical health, but he saw no trace of the happy, naive little boy with mythomagic cards. He gave a little sigh and brushed hair from his eyes irritably. He needed a haircut. Pulling a thin rubber band from his back pocket, he tied his glossy black hair into a ponytail. He looked odd, but he rarely encountered people anyway so it didn't matter much. He brushed his teeth and splashed his face with water and headed back to his cabin. The ponytail was more comfortable than nico would have thought. If he had the motivation to travel, he could summon the dead and spar with them in a graveyard later.

When his cabin was in sight again, Nico saw a boy crouched on the steps, a boy with an orange t-shirt and messy black hair that was all too familiar. _Shit, _he thought. Nico felt like he had been stabbed in the chest, the same feeling he got whenever he dared to let his thoughts stray towards Percy Jackson, a feeling that was so familiar it was almost ordinary. He sucked in a sharp breath and frantically searched for a way out. But he had already straightened up and spotted Nico. Percy's face flushed pink, and he felt his fingers turn cold. He was suddenly self-conscious about his ridiculous ponytail. Fleeing no longer an option, Nico walk warily towards the son of the sea god.

"What were you doing?" Nico said harshly. He forced his mouth into a scowl, narrowing his eyes and clenching his teeth. Manipulating his expression was something he learned to do in the long weeks on the argo while enduring moments of intimacy between Percy and Annabeth.

Percy looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Uh your lunch."

"_What?_" Nico said. Percy shuffled his feet, gesturing to a silver plate behind him. an entire pie sat on it, giving off a strong scent of apples. "Did chiron tell you to? I don't need it. I can get food from the underworld, you don't need to-"

"Chiron?" percy said, puzzled. "Nico- _I _brought you things every day, not Chiron."

Nico's face softened with surprise, but only for a moment. His gaze turned cold again and he said, "Why do you care, Jackson?"

Percy looked like he was going to stomp his foot. "What or who gave you the impression that I didn't care?!"

Nico bit back angry comments. The knife in his chest twisted and hurt more than ever. Percy Jackson cared. But he would never, _never _care the way Nico did. Percy's ignorance almost annoyed him. "You don't need to steal for me, boy."

"Don't call me that. I'm older than you!" Percy said loudly.

"I'm seventy." He started forward. He forced the words out of his mouth, trying to drive Percy away. "Out of the way, _boy."_

Percy's face was flushed again. His voice cracked with anger. "Why can't you believe that I care?"

"Remember Ms.O'leary?" Nico spat. Unlike percy, his face was white, in stark contrast with his black curls. He clenched his cold fingers. "Remember Cerberus? Remember _Calypso?"_

Percy stiffened, his face draining of color. "cerberus. Oh gods..."

Nico hated percy's tiny voice, full of hurt and regret. "You didn't care about them, Percy. Leo's cleaning up the mess you made of the lonely girl on an island in the middle of nowhere. You never asked how your dogs were doing. Cerberus is lonely, but you promised to visit him again. Ms.O'leary _misses _you."

Percy seemed to have lost control of his voice. "They- I-"

"Why didn't you visit them? Why didn't you at least ask how they were doing? Why didn't you go through with your promise to Calypso?" Percy looked miserable, but it was a shallow misery, the sort of pain that someone would have if their pet hamster had died. The sight only made Nico angrier. "You want to know why I know you don't care? Because you left them to rot. If anything was to happen to me, why in hell would I trust _you?"_

percy raised his hands helplessly. "Nico, really-"

"No," he snapped. "Get out of the way."

Percy decided the best thing to do was to back off. He stepped away from the door to the Hades cabin, and nico strode over the pie that still sat, steaming, on the steps.

"They expected more from you," Nico muttered, and slammed the door.

His heart was pounding and his vision was tinted red with anger. He heard Percy sigh and shuffle away. Nico's temper rose. The boy should be sprinting to the underworld to see his dogs. Instead he was probably going to mope in his stupid blue cabin for a few hours. Agitated, Nico paced his cabin, running his hands through his hair. He finally grabbed his sword, looped his belt through his jeans, and disappearing in shadow.

He was at his mother's side again, and the travel didn't wear him out at all. Nico found this unusual, but there was buzzing noise in his ears and his face was cold and he was too distracted think about it. It was irrational for him to be so angered by Percy's actions. But the sheer arrogance and carelessness that Percy showed had totally sent him into a rage. The ground rumbled and the grass at Nico's feet turned brown and shriveled. He felt a warm breeze against his face, the same one he felt whenever he visited this place, but he wasn't calmed by it this time. _Stupid, stupid, _he thought. _Falling in love with someone like that. _Nico drew his sword as he raised fallen warriors from the earth. A bony soldier with a javelin and broken, cracked armor came crawling out of a fissure in the ground, and Nico waited for it to rise completely before decapitating it. He fought one, then two at once, and he was suddenly a flurry of black and shadow as he slashed down skeleton after skeleton. The bones of the beaten were sucked back into the crack in the ground as more crawled out. The sun was touching the horizon before Nico finally let the spirits go, and they were vacuumed back into the earth. His black curls were plastered to his face with sweat and he sat next to his mother's tombstone, dropping his sword on the brown grass.

"Well that was quite something."

nico let out an extremely undignified yelp. He whirled around, frantically grabbing for his sword. He saw a dark figure at the edge of the woods behind his mother's grave. As Nico's panic subsided, he saw that it was a man, leaning against a tree. He came into view, out of the shadows, and Nico's already cold hands went numb. He recognised the pale and delicate features, the graceful throat and black hair, though he had only seen them once before.

"Well?" Anubis said sarcastically. "can i get a hello?"

Nico's throat burned and his blood roared in his ears, like he had just run marathon. "Oh gods. Hi. Hello."

A smile played around Anubis's lips. "Are you going to tell me about that little tantrum of yours or do I have to guess?"

Nico stood uncertainly and winced. There were a few cuts on his arms and his hoodie was ripped in a few places where he had been cut by the skeletons' blunt weapons. He studied Anubis's face but the god looked utterly relaxed, happy even. Nico slid his sword back into his belt "What are you doing here? I thought-"

"Kid, I couldn't pass up the chance to see a little bit of the greek side." Anubis chuckled. Nico felt his face burn as he thought of the last time he saw Anubis. This time the god was actually _laughing_, carefree and strangely pleasant. Nico examined the god's face. he looked the same, though he wore a sleeveless shirt and his hair was longer. The god's eyes were still sad, still a thousand years old, though he looked quite cheerful now.

"How long have you been there?" Nico asked, gesturing towards the woods. Anubis grinned and flicked his hand. Nico felt a warm breeze, very like the one he felt every time he came here since he met anubis. Nico closed his eyes. "My gods, Anubis, _every_ day?"

"Of course," Anubis said. "You looked cold. I have a _little _magic, Nico. When you came today, I thought you were being attacked. I almost came out to help you."

Nico cast down his eyes. "Why didn't you?"

"It looked a bit like you summoned them on purpose. You're a good fighter, though I must ask," he said, his smile fading. "Why did you do that?"

Nico sighed. his temper had died, replaced with his usual fatigue. "Just some things. Nothing to worry about. I dont think its going to be the last time either."

Anubis looked curious and maybe a little bit worried but he didn't pry. His lips were pursed. Nico looked up wondered why he was still there. With a rush of heat to his cheeks, he remembered that he often talked to his mother when he was here, and if Anubis was here all that time, he heard everything. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet, mortified.

"Hey," anubis said. Nico looked up. Anubis had his hand stretched out in the air, but as Nico watched, the hand disappeared. Nico blinked hard, wondering what Anubis was doing. "I know how to make you feel better."

He pulled out a small leather bag from thin air, his pale hand reappearing. Nico raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Egyptian magic really wasn't any of his business. Anubis stuffed the bag in his pocket and gestured for Nico to come closer.

"Come _on," _he urged. He reached for Nico's hand, but he recoiled, crossing his arms.

"You said-"

Anubis sighed impatiently. "Nico, if my magic can affect you, I don't think physical contact is a problem."

Nico reluctantly let Anubis take his hand. His skin was cool and dry, and Nico didn't find it unpleasant the way he would if anyone else had touched him. He felt the ground leave his feet, and before he could panic, the ground reappeared. Anubis let go of his hand. They were in a completely different part of the graveyard. There were more trees, more graves, and a few metal benches.

"Come on," Anubis said. his eyes were bright with excitement. He headed to one of the benches and sat, gesturing for Nico to do the same. Nico sat gingerly on the edge of the bench, and watched as Anubis took the bag from his pocket and dug out what looked like a homemade cigarette. He handed one to Nico. He took it, letting it sit flat in his palm. "Is this…?"

"Weed? Yes. Sort of. I tinkered with it so the smell isn't as horrible as it should be. Have you seen my lighter?" he patted his pockets, searching for something to light it with. nico watched, wondering why Anubis would think he had seen his lighter. He never expected a god to indulge in things like marijuana. But what else was there for a god to do? Anubis laughed triumphantly. He pulled a simple silver lighter from his pocket with strange egyptian designs etched into the sides. He put the joint to his lips and lit it. Anubis sucked in a breath and sighed, furls of smoke drifting from his lips. Strangely, the smoke smelled like pomegranates. Nico looked apprehensive as Anubis reached over and held the lighter under Nico's joint. He looked at Nico through his eyelashes, and though he was relaxed with the plant already taking it's affect, he sounded very serious as he said, "You don't have to, you know. But it'll take away the pain."

He said "pain" in a way Nico rarely heard it said. Anubis was not referring to physical pain of his various cuts and bruises. He meant the pain that the words of loved ones can inflict, wounds in the heart that only time can heal. The sad look in the god's eyes told him that he, more than anyone, could understand.

"What would mom say," Nico muttered as he grabbed the lighter and lit it himself. Anubis grinned as Nico brought the joint to his lips and sucked in a breath. For a moment it just felt uncomfortable but then felt like he was floating. He smiled stupidly and said, "Just how much did you tinker with this?"

"Quite a bit, actually." Nico snickered, bringing it to his lips again. Anubis watched him, and it seemed like at least two thousand years of weariness had drained from the god's eyes, leaving behind a reckless teenager without a care in the world. "Great isn't it?"

Nico nodded, puckering his lips and blowing smoke rings. It was like Nico had lost any motivation he had to think about bad things. Percy, Camp Half-Blood, Chiron- none of that mattered at the moment. Anubis leaned back on the bench, his joint dangling lazily in his hand. "Where d'you get this?" Nico asked.

Anubis grinned. "Mortal druggies. Perfectly ordinary before i experimented with it. Not fatal at all. I bought enough for a few months."

This brought something to Nico's hazy mind. "This wont affect my health, right?"

"Oh no, no. Not that it should matter to you, with the state you're in. Not that you look bad or anything I-"

Nico laughed, a silly, drug induced laugh, and looked at his pale, thin hands. though they were no longer bony, he was sure he looked about as healthy as a starving monkey. "I got better since you last saw me."

Anubis cocked his head to the side, examining nico's face and slightly fuller frame. "You're right," he decided. "You packed on a little muscle. Still scrawny though."

Anubis put the lit joint between his teeth. "I'm not scrawny," nico said. _"_I'm perfect. Fabulous."

Anubis giggled, reaching over and poking Nico's forehead with his finger. "Nice ponytail."

"Sweet jesus, I forgot I still had it." Nico stuck the stuck the joint in his mouth and began to pull out the hair tie. Anubis shot out a hand and grabbed Nico's skinny wrist.

"No, i like it," he said. "keep it."

nico obediently kept the ponytail intact, and they finished smoking. His head felt fuzzy and warm, and his body didn't ache at all. He looked down and saw though his hoodie was still riddled with holes, his wounds were gone.

"I mixed it with some healing potion," Anubis said cheerfully, following Nico's gaze. "I think _you_ would call it nectar."

"Thanks," nico said with a drunken smile. "I feel great."

The sky was a beautiful dark purple. Anubis sighed, playing with the end of Nico's little ponytail. He tilted up his head to look at the stars and said, "The high will last for a few hours."

Nico nodded, his eyes glittering. His fatigue was gone, and he had all the energy he needed, though he had no reason to use it. He liked Anubis's company, which was strange, since nico hadn't had living company in a while. They sat for a long time, not talking much and watching the world around them turn black in the oncoming night.

Nico blinked seemed to forget to open them again because the next moment, he was laying on his side on the hard bench and it was dawn and Anubis was nowhere to be seen. Nico rubbed his eyes and yawned, noticing that a fluffy black blanket had been draped over him sometime in the night. A folded note lay on the spot where Anubis had sat. Nico reached for it and as he opened it, a small purple bag fell to the ground. He picked it up and opened it. Inside were several hastily rolled joints. Smiling, Nico read the note.

_Just in case._

Underneath it was a messy scrawl of hieroglyphics that may have been Anubis's name. The wrinkled paper gave off a scent like pomegranates. Nico sighed, and for once, he actually felt refreshed. He wondered what Anubis had done to the drugs that make Nico feel so much better. He decided he didn't want to know. He put the joint in the pocket of his ripped hoodie and threw the fuzzy blanket over his shoulder. He turned on his heel and disappeared into shadow.

Plates of food kept showing up at his door everyday after that, but he didn't take any. It wasn't until a little bit of baby blue stationery came with a steaming plate of fried rice that said, _Nico, take the fucking food or I swear I will feed you by force_. _Sincerely- Percy, _did Nico begin eating the meals again.


	6. Chapter 6

Anubis carefully brought the razor up to his temple. It buzzed loudly and a small clumps of dark hair fell to the ground. He was in someone's bathroom, somewhere in Brooklyn, and it was only about four in the afternoon. He wished he had his own bathroom in the underworld, but after all, gods didn't excrete any sort of waste that required a toilet. He regarded his reflection critically in the mirror.

His hair was no longer long and messy. The sides of his head were shaved, leaving behind a thick mohawk, elegantly trimmed so it fell slightly to the left. Anubis smiled triumphantly. He considered dying it red, but he was planning to see Nico at the graveyard soon. Somehow, the boy always found himself there at twilight, and Anubis wasn't sure if Nico scheduled a time to go everyday or if he just always got really bored around twilight. It wasn't Anubis's business anyway. He kicked his cut hair under the sink. The mortals who owned this little apartment wouldn't be able to see it anyway. As far as they were concerned, Anubis didn't exist.

With one last glance in the mirror, he flicked his wrist and appeared at the old graveyard. Nico was already there. He was propped up on his mother's gravestone, surrounded with dead grass, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. Anubis smiled. maybe it was creepy, watching a kid sleep, but he couldn't help but marvel at Nico's sleeping face. Without his customary scowl and furrowed eyebrows, Nico looked the way he should, like a carefree teenager. In his sleep, Nico mumbled unintelligible greek curses and his nose twitched. He had only seen Nico like this a few times, when the boy had given into fatigue during the long hours they had spent here, smoking Anubis's homemade joint. Anubis sighed, and sat crosslegged next to him, letting him sleep. The dark shadows under Nico's closed eyes reminded him horribly of the first time they had met. Nico had been the most miserable thing imaginable, thin and worn with a haggard look in his black eyes. But as anubis watched him over the next few weeks in this very same graveyard, Nico had become slightly less frail, his clothes didn't keep slipping off of him, and he didn't even really need his belt anymore. after Nico had found out about the god watching him in the shadows, Anubis still didn't ask where he had gotten the sustenance he needed for his health to improve so quickly. But even with his drastic improvement in health, the awful look in Nico's eyes remained. Anubis could see, through the his heavy guard, a very painful, fragile look whenever they approached the subject of this Percy character that Nico had talked to his mother's tombstone about. If Anubis was honest with himself, he felt the tiniest twinge of guilt that he had listened to Nico let his guard down when he thought no one was listening. So Anubis let it go and put all his energy into trying to distract Nico from whatever was hurting him.

Anubis wondered why he felt obligated to help this godling. He really shouldn't have come back to see Nico after their first encounter. Something about the boy intrigued him, not the fact that he was half greek god, but the worn and broken look in his black eyes was familiar. It was a look he saw every time time he looked in the mirror. But almost every god looked that way, even if they chose to ignore their problems and indulge in their own immortality. Nico was a godling but he was still a mortal, so what could he had done to look so sad and hurt?

Anubis tore his eyes from Nico's peaceful sleeping face and focused on the sunset. he leaned back on his hands and dry brown blades of grass tickled his wrists and palms. It was interesting how relaxed he felt with the son of Hades at his side. The boy's awkward, unintentional humor had made Anubis laugh more in the past week than he had in a century. not even Sadie could- or would humor him. In fact, she was rather aggravating and rude and unappealing. Anubis had found her pushy mannerisms charming for the first two minutes they had talked, but after that her charm faded and she was nothing more than another magician to help along.

Nico stirred, snapping anubis from his reverie. "Jackson," he muttered.

Anubis reached over and tapped him lightly on the head before rolling quickly away. Nico shot up immediately, drawing his sword. The wild look in his eyes gave Anubis a heavy heart. What had life done to this boy?

"Hello sunshine," Anubis said cheerfully, pulling the leather bag from his pocket. "guess what time it is?"

Nico stifled a yawn and pressed the sharp tip his sword against Anubis's chest. He felt the point dig lightly into his sternum. "I like... your hair."

Anubis smiled. "Did you take some before i came? You have terrible manners."

"ha... sorry." Nico's words were slurred, a toothy smile stretching across his pale face. he sheathed his sword. "do you have something stronger? This is... its getting too familiar. Dull, ya know?"

Anubis understood what he meant. He had used the same recipe for all the weed they'd been using, thinking that it would be more than enough for Nico. He could see a glint of Nico's hard expression through the drug-induced haze. Obviously the effects of the plant were wearing off, or Nico was developing a tolerance for it. Anubis knew, more than anything, that Nico wanted a way out of the confines his mind, and the god fully intended to give him that. He did have something stronger, and it shouldn't have any long lasting effects on the body. "Yeah of course, little angel," he said lightly.

Nico grinned, delighted by his pet name. When Anubis started calling him that a few days ago, Nico's shoulders had stiffened as if Anubis had offended him, clenching his jaw and his eyes widening. He had been on the point of apologizing when Nico had burst into laughter. He told him that he usually hated being called that, but somehow didn't mind when Anubis said it.

Anubis reached effortlessly into the daut, pulling out a dusty black leather bag.

"I haven't used these for a while," he said, turning the bag upside down and shaking a few into his hand. "I always pass out for a few hours afterward."

"You don't mind?" Nico asked.

"Come now," Anubis held out the bag. They looked identical to the old ones, but the paper was red. Nico took one and let Anubis light the end. He put it to his lips and sucked. "It's concentrated. It's still healthier than what the mortals use."

nico huffed, smoke drifting from his mouth. "_I'm _mortal. And you are a drug lord. And this is great." He waved the joint in his hand.

"I am a drug lord," Anubis agreed, lighting his own joint. "You are a godling, not really mortal. There's a difference. And by the way, i'm one of the best drug lords in the Egyptian underworld. It's magical."

Nico giggled. They had walked to the shade of the woods and sat on the dry leaves and grass. Nico reached up and brushed his hands along the top of Anubis's hair.

"It's soft. you cut it."

"Yeah."

"You should dye it too."

"I was thinking red."

"Purple."

"Okay," Anubis said, and Nico smiled. He stuck his lit joint between his teeth. To him, it wasn't much different, but to Nico the difference would be far more prominent. The boy furrowed his eyebrows, sucking in another breath of sweet-smelling smoke.

Nico started popping his lips in a funny way, but Anubis didn't know what he was doing. It took him a minute to realize that he was beatboxing. Anubis widened bloodshot eyes, but followed the beat, popping his lips and humming just like Nico. _Oh my gods Nico, _he thought, barely able to keep from laughing. Nico started to talk, spitting out an unfamiliar and guttural rap. Anubis kept a straight face as he struggled to keep the beat even. It was only when Nico gave a little nod of his head and finished the rap abruptly, did Anubis's joint fall from his lips and he clutched at his sides, roaring in mirth.

Nico laughed too, tousling Anubis's hair, saying, "That was great. We were great."

"You can rap like hell," Anubis said, wiping his eyes. "you little idiot. Little angel."

Nico picked Anubis's joint up, flicking off pine needles and specks of dirt and handing it to him. "You need a pet name. I'm thinking 'drug supplier.' or 'Bessie.' Yeah, I like that. You like that?"

"I love it." Anubis took another long drag from the joint, savoring the high and dreading the moment when Nico would leave to go home.

The graveyard was really quite beautiful in the dim morning light. Nico had been there all night, sparring with skeletons. Broken bits of bone and the tattered, ripped clothes of the dead scattered the ground. Nico sat next to his mother, waiting for the moment Anubis would pop into existence. Fingering a hole in his shirt, he wondered if the drug they had taken so often really was harmless. He shook his head. Of course they were. If anything, his health had improved since he had begun smoking it. His sight was a little less bleary, his ribs a little less visible. It have given him strength and energy even Percy's food couldn't give, though _why_ it had this effect, Nico couldn't understand. And stealing food from the kitchens was really quite difficult. He didn't know how Percy managed it every day.

Thoughts of Percy and his surprising kindness had been lurking in the back of Nico's mind for too long. The older demigod was impossible to understand. There was no reason for him to care about Nico at all. They had spent just a few months on the Argo together, and even then, Nico had spent his time alone in his room or sulking wherever the others weren't. He shoved the thoughts back, and it was a constant battle, struggling to keep himself distracted from the salty scent that was Percy. The smell of ocean clung to the plates of food and permeated Nico's cabin. It was impossible to ignore. The love and hate and guilt were tucked hastily away in the corners of his mind, because Nico was a coward and he was terrified of himself. Nico's feelings for the son of the sea god were far too complicated and mixed to be dealt with now, or ever. Not when he had just made his first friend in a long time. The drugs Anubis provided had been a blessing. It seemed to dull his pain and enhance what good there was in the world; and the only good in his world was Anubis. In fact, the first time Nico had laughed in months was when he was high and goofing around with the god. The stronger red joint Anubis had given him was even better, the most blissful thing he could imagine, though he would wake up with little or memory of what they had done while under its influence. Strangely enough, Nico trusted the Egyptian god enough to know that he would be safe when to smoked while in his company.

He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard a faint pop. He looked around, but Anubis was nowhere to be seen. He spotted a wrinkled brown paper bag a few feet away, a bag he was certain was not there a moment earlier. He scooted towards it. Inside was a note and a joint, a red one fucked up his memory, not one of the normal ones that he had first smoked with Anubis.

_Something came up. Sorry, see you tmrw, _the note said.

Underneath was Anubis's messy signature. Nico sighed. He always looked forward to his visits; as a god, anubis could be in many places at once, and this was the only reason he had so much time to spend with Nico. If Anubis needed all of his being to be in his underworld, then nico could hardly complain. He stuck the note in his pocket, stuffing the paper bag and joint in the other. Getting high alone wouldn't be as enjoyable without his god. Nico closed his eyes, turning on the spot and disappearing into shadow.

Percy balanced a silver dish of steak in one hand, pushing his pen back in his pocket with the other. His shirt was riddled with holes from sword fighting and falling off the lava wall. He had seen Annabeth on the other side of the arena, sparring with one of her siblings. She avoided his gaze and her face had darkened with anger. Percy sighed. Its been weeks since they had last fought. He needed to make a move.

The Hades cabin looked out of place in the sunlight. But the sun was going down and the cabin would become invisible, just two green torches in the night. Percy knelt down, wincing as he stretched a cut over his ribcage. He looked up, frowning. Percy hadn't noticed the blaring music coming from the cabin. He stood, leaving the plate on the steps, and listened. It sounded like 80's music, maybe the Rolling Stones.

Percy debated whether he should knock. He had never heard a sound from the Hades cabin before. But maybe Nico hadn't forgiven him for the Mrs. O'leary thing yet. But the sound of music from somewhere as unlikely as the _Hades_ cabin was too curious to miss. Percy silently promised himself to call Ms O'leary later. He had barely knocked on the black door when it flew open, revealing a wild-looking demigod. Nico's eyes were bloodshot and he wasn't wearing anything but faded black boxers. Percy stepped back, startled. Music blared louder than ever from inside the cabin.

Percy stood apprehensively, at a loss for words. The boy had gained a little weight, from the sustenance Percy brought every day. Percy could make out hard muscle that stretched over nico's arms and chest. He was an inch or two taller, his hair longer, but his deathly pale skin was the same as ever. Percy rubbed the back of his neck, his face heating up. The boy's boxers rode awfully low on his hips.

"Hi Perce. How you doin'?" His voice was an octave lower than Percy remembered, and he had never heard Nico call him Perce. It was a pet name that only Annabeth and Grover had used. Nico sounded amused, which in itself was unnerving, but added with his manic grin- well, percy might have been a little afraid.

"Uh-," percy stammered, a red flush creeping up his neck. "Your music's pretty loud."

"Is it _bothering_ you?" Nico drawled, almost lazily. He shifted his weight, looking at Percy through his eyelashes. his arms dangled at his sides, playing with the hem of his boxers. The boy was almost as tall as him now. Percy thought that it was best he leave, because Nico was probably drunk. How he had managed to smuggle alcohol into camp, he didn't know, and he didn't want to know either.

"No, uh the music's fine. listen, I have this thing-," Percy turned to go. He was suddenly wrenched back, and he stumbled into the dim cabin. Nico caught him, his hand still full of percy's t-shirt.

"No. _You_ listen, seaweed brain," Nico said. Percy flushed a rich pink, but it was too dark in the cabin to see. Nico brought his forehead to Percy's, and he could feel Nico's eyelashes fluttering against his cheek. The younger demigod flicked his hand, and the cabin door slammed closed. A torch behind him flickered to life, and he could see Nico's slightly parted lips and glossy black hair that hung in his dark, heavily lidded eyes. The son of Hades gripped the collar of Percy's t-shirt tighter. His voice was low and Percy detected the faint smell of pomegranates when he murmured, "You don't go until I _say_ you go. You are not leaving me again. Never again."

And he brought Percy's face closer and crushed their lips together. Every nerve in Percy's body felt like it was on fire, but, at the same time, he felt too numb to move. He closed his eyes as Nico nipped at his bottom lip, the scent of pomegranates wafting from his hair and skin. As Nico forced his tongue through his lips, Percy swallowed hard and he brought his hands to Nico's hair and pressed him closer, surprising even himself. Nico gasped, his grip on Percy's shirt loosening as he trailed his hands down Nico's slender shoulders. Percy kissed him roughly, parting Nico's lips with his own. The boy sighed into his mouth, tangling his hands in Percy's hair and tugging, flicking his tongue lightly against Percy's lips. He shuddered, adrenaline and surprise and lust coursing through his veins. Nico pushed him, and his back slammed against the door. Percy gasped, his mind going blank, his eyes unfocusing. Nico was up against Percy again, pulling his shirt over his head. Percy shivered as Nico trailed his hands lightly against his torso, tracing the outline of his chest, his fingers cold and calloused and digging into the ridges of his stomach. Nico gazed at his exposed skin, his black eyes trailing lazily up and down his torso. Percy grabbed his neck and pulled him forward, crushing their lips together again and Nico licked wetly into Percy's mouth, exploring every inch of it and forcing a quiet moan from his throat. Nico let out a surprised laugh at the sound, his thin chest shaking. Percy ran his hands along Nico's back, feeling cool skin and muscle shifting under his fingers. Percy's skin must have been feverish in comparison. Nico broke away, gasping for air. Percy went for the boy's throat, nipping gently and taking a bit of soft flesh in his teeth, sucking hard. Nico ran his hands through Percy's hair, and it was strange and unlike anything Percy experienced before. A Nico attempted to stifle the groan that vibrated through his chest, his entire body shivering. Percy drew back, and they looked at each other, Percy's eyes wild. Nico licked his lips slowly, and the smell of pomegranates hit him again like a wave. Suddenly, Nico stooped down, picking up Percy's tattered shirt.

"_Now_ you can go." Nico tossed his shirt at him. He took it, his surprise caught in his throat. Nico took Percy's face in his pale hands, turning it to the side. Percy let him, his dawning sense of horror keeping him rooted to the spot. He licked along the shell of Percy's ear, and he shuddered, a low whine escaping from his throat. Then Nico pushed him back, out the door, and Percy stood there, not even noticing that he was standing in on the plate he had left there a few minutes ago. Nico watched him stand there in the night, his chest and legs bare. his boxers rode even lower on his hips, revealing a slight v-line. Nico winked at him, his lips shining with Percy's saliva and he closed the door, leaving percy standing there for a few minutes or hours, not noticing the cold.


	7. Chapter 7

Nico was never late to the graveyard, not having any responsibilities of his own. It wasn't like they had a set time, but it was always around twilight that he would show up, and he and Anubis would laugh and talk all night and Nico would sleep in the day. Anubis wondered if Nico was just having a lie-in. Maybe the backwards sleeping schedule was taking its toll. Anubis cursed himself silently. Why did he allow the human to fuck up his delicate internal clock?

A shadow formed a little off to his right. As Anubis watched, it grew and twisted and solidified into the son of Hades. He looked groggy and his eyebrows were furrowed, as if he were confused. He was wearing a black cardigan with little skulls on it and his sword was gripped loosely in his hand. Anubis smiled.

"You look great," Anubis said. Nico frowned and strode over to sit next to anubis. They were in another part of the graveyard, one with picnic benches and overgrown grass.

"Shut up," he mumbled, taking off his boots. "I see you finally dyed your hair."

Anubis plucked at the purple ends of his shaggy mohawk thoughtfully. "It's quite nice. The haircut wasn't the best idea though. I look like i'm part of some biker gang."

Nico gave a tiny smile. The shadows under his eyes had darkened, and he still looked a little confused. Anubis wondered why. "It's alright. Nice if the rest were longer. And I've always wanted to be part of a gang. I don't suppose i could though, unless being part of the useless demigod club counts."

Anubis nodded and reached out a hand, groping for his entrance to the duat. "Oh i wouldn't call being the ambassador of Pluto and king of ghosts is nothing." To his surprise, Nico grabbed his arm, his fingernails scraping against his skin. "What is it?"

Nico shook his head. "I just- I'm not feeling it today."

Anubis frowned, concerned. "When have you ever 'not felt it'? Nico, what's wrong?"

"I think something happened yesterday. I can't remember-" He sounded like he was trying not to panic.

"What's that?" Anubis reached for Nico's collar and pulled it down a little, exposing a dark red heart-shaped mark, like a bruise. What little color he had drained from his face. "Gods, Nico."

"Yeah." Anubis's eyes darkened. The boy ran his hands through his hair, his fingers trembling slightly. "I don't remember what I did. Or who I did it _with._ I can't remember._" _

Anubis sighed, letting go of his cardigan. "Lock the door the next time you get high. Or just go to your bedroom in the underworld. Or just dont do it at all. Unless i'm there."

Nico had told him a bit about how he lived. Summer camp for godlings, Hades, and the graveyard, not going into detail. That's all Nico was, really. He was too sad, too tired and worn to have the motivation to do anything else. He could be traveling the world, living out his life like a mortal should. But he just _wasn't. _The boy's ears turned pink when he said, "I have a feeling it wasn't a girl though."

"Hm_," _Anubis said, unfazed. He wasn't surprised, but the fact that Nico actually admitted it was unsettling in itself. "Have any possible lovers?"

Nico stiffened. Anubis automatically leaned forward, worried that he had somehow offended him. "Nico?"

"I'm fine." Nico looked at him squarely in the face, his onyx eyes wary. "You want to know about my crush."

"Well- I suppose I do." Anubis didn't know why Nico would talk about some stupid crush like someone had died, but he hated the sad look in the boy's eyes.

Nico swallowed hard and said, "His name is Percy Jackson, son of the sea god. Black hair, tanned skin, green eyes; the whole surfer dude look you know? Wait- i should tell you, i'm over eighty years old. I ah- my sister and i were trapped in time for about seventy or so years until my dad let us out. I'm old, is what i'm trying to say."

Anubis stared, waiting for him to get to the point. When Nico stared back, expecting a reaction, he sighed. "I'm a five thousand year old god. Really, it doesn't matter. I couldn't care less."

"Really? I mean- right. so. I met Percy when he fought off a few monsters to save my life, and my sister's life, yeah? And we were good f-friends," he forced the word out with his teeth gritted. "maybe I was a little annoying, I don't know, I was only ten, but then he and my s-sister go on a quest to save the world. It wasn't the first time for him."

His head was bowed and his hair falling into his face now, as if his own words were weighing him down. Anubis looked at the back of Nico's head with concern, hearing the painful muffled undertone to his voice. His face was white and pinched and his eyes were rimmed with red. "Nico you don't have to-"

"He promised." Nico's voice cracked, ignoring Anubis completely. In fact, he didn't seem too aware of Anubis at all. "He said he would protect her. He said-"

Nico broke off, his eyes dark with memories that Anubis couldn't share with him because Nico never said shit about any of this. "She's dead. I can't see her again. Bianca di Angelo is dead.

"Can you imagine how being this fucking homo could get you in the seventies?" nico exclaimed suddenly. "I pretended to have a crush on Percy's _girlfriend_."

He looked at Anubis, clearly agitated. He looked like he expected Anubis to be disgusted. But Anubis wasn't disgusted in the slightest. But he was at loss of what to say. so he blurted, "I did that once too."

Nico stared at him, an eyebrow raised. Anubis felt his ears heat up. "About eight hundred years ago, there was this young merchant with the most beautiful brown skin... It doesn't matter. Continue. Please."

"Uh, so Percy was there when my sister was killed. But he also saved my life from a few monsters. I would be dead without him. I don't know what to think, I just-"

"You keep talking about what he did," Anubis interrupted. "Have you thought about, say, what is he like? Does he have nasty habits? What's his favorite brand of milk? Does he like having you around?"

"He lived with his mom," Nico said helplessly. "He has- had a stepdad, he has a obsession with blue, he has a cyclops for a brother... what else is there to know?"

"What makes him laugh maybe? The way he smiles, what it takes to get him to cry? How often have you talked to him?"

"Not... often..." Anubis could see the light of talking about this _Percy_ fade from his eyes.

Anubis pushed on. "There are more things to love- if you can call it that- than just saving your life. that happens a lot. especially with godlings. there must be more. do you love him Nico?"

"Yeah. Yes. I think so?" Nico's voice trailed off, his wide black eyes pleading with anubis, asking him to help him understand.

"What was it like before this. Did you love him at first? But you were just ten, and he must have been older, three or four years I think. At that age, you couldn't have felt much more than hero worship. A child's admiration. Am I right?"

"I liked him. Of course i liked him. He'd just saved my life hadn't he?"

"Nico, I have said it once and I will say it again- _there is more to love than admiration. _Saving your life out of duty, having your life saved out of someone else's conscious- that is nothing." He realized too late that he had pushed the son of Hades too far.

He had seen Nico break many times when Nico didn't know he was being watched. But up close, seeing Nico shatter again from the inside, it twisted his heart and made it hard to breathe. But this time, it was Anubis's fault.

"Was i stupid enough to fall in love with a stranger?" Nico's voice was raspy and nearly inaudible. His mouth worked, trying to swallow but not being able to. He choked on his own tears and he began to cry silently, his thin body trembling and tears clinging to his lashes before dripping to the brown grass. Anubis's face twisted into a pained grimace, and he reached out, rushing to pull a red roll from the duat, fumbling as he lit it. He held it out and Nico took it as if it were a lifeline. He brought it to his lips with trembling hands, sucking in the sweet smoke. Anubis waited and after a few seconds of silence Nico's shoulders slumped, the tension leaving his body. He hiccuped, puffs of smoke furling from his mouth. As the boy stared straight ahead with heavily lidded eyes, glazed with the effects of the drug, Anubis hoped beyond hope Nico wouldn't remember this in the morning.

**A/N**

i added a few sentences to the previous chapters and will continue editing them while posting new chapters.

review please.


	8. Chapter 8

Traces of meat and rice dotted the steps to Nico's cabin. He kicked them away with his foot, still straining to remember what had happened. He could barely remember what had happened the day before when he had gone to meet Anubis. The smell of pomegranates tainted his skin and clothes, which meant that they had smoked, but he couldn't remember when, or why. Nico was _sure_ he had told the god that he didn't want to smoke that day, so what had driven him to it? He had a pounding headache and that made it hard to think. He sighed, turning away and heading back into the cabin. It was quiet, other than the slap of his bare feet on the floor. He threw himself onto his bed, groaning. His head throbbed and his throat was sore and the cabin smelled strongly of pomegranates. Nico silently vowed not to smoke in this cabin again.

He rubbed the fading hickey on his neck and pulled a blanket over his bare chest. Really, there were few people who came to this cabin, only one who could have been in here was the one who had given him the hickies that trailed down his throat.

The thought of Percy Jackson sucking on the soft skin of his neck made his hands turn cold and his entire body tense, but the idea was just ridiculous, considering the fact that Percy had a girlfriend. And he didn't like Nico much anyway. But he still felt his hands turn freeze and a slight flush crept up his neck as he imagined Percy's lips nipping at his pale skin. Nico quickly shut down his thoughts, knowing that he would end up too flustered to speak. He considered not using the red rolls of weed ever again. but the relief it offered was not something he was willing to give up.

His door creaked. Nico shot up, already scrambling for his sword. A dark haired boy with sea green eyes and a orange t- shirt peered around the door.

"Can I come in?"

Nico fought down a blush and struggled to breathe properly. He closed his eyes, dropping the sword. "Why can't you knock."

Percy tapped on the door with his knuckles. "Nico…?"

Nico sucked in a breath. Even after the months of wiping his face of emotion, Percy could just waltz right in and numb his mind. It was ridiculous.

"What do you want?"

Percy frowned. He came inside, shutting the door quietly. The hero looked a bit awkward standing there in the torchlight. "It's about yesterday. Did you…? I mean-"

"Yesterday?" Nico said sharply. "what about yesterday?"

Percy strode over to where Nico stood, confusion darkening his eyes. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?" Nico's mind went blank, but it was quite unlike the drunken stupor of being high. He could feel a gentle heat coming off Percy's skin and and the salty scent of the ocean.

"This." Percy leaned forward and brushed his lips across Nico's.

Nico jerked away, his eyes widening. His lips tingled. "What was that?"

"You don't remember." Percy said; he looked disappointed. Sad, even. "Right. I didnt think… I'm just gonna escort myself out."

Nico watched him go, his head swimming with Percy's scent and he was rooted to the spot, unable to say a word. Percy paused at the door, as if reluctant to leave.

"Percy," Nico said quietly. He whirled around, his eyes bright. All Nico could see in his minds eye is Percy's unkept promises, Percy remembering that he loved Annabeth, Percy, Percy, Percy. Nico summoned all his willpower and said, "Whatever happened… it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter."

percy's eyes widened but he nodded slowly. he left, pulling the door closed after him_._ nico stood there for a long time, staring at the door, wondering if he had said the right thing by driving the boy who hurt him so much away.

Percy stood outside the athena cabin, his heart hammering. He had finally decided to make his move after Nico had shut him down. He grimaced. So he really had been intoxicated that day after all. He felt a painful tugging in his chest, calling him back to Nico. he had grown used to caring for the boy, even if he never really made direct contact. He sighed and pushed the door open. There was a single blonde lump in one of the beds.

"Annabeth?" he whispered. The lump stirred and Annabeth's head peered at him with sleepy eyes.

"Whozair?" Percy stifled a laugh. He had forgotten how groggy Annabeth could be when someone woke her up. She rubbed her eyes, swinging her feet off the bed. "What time is it?"

"Four. In the afternoon." She looked at him, alarmed, as if she hadn't noticed him before. "Percy- i'm in my pajamas!"

"Nothing i haven't seen before." She flushed.

"What do you want."

Percy rubbed his neck. "iIm apologising. Sorry. For fighting."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Percy sighed.

"I shouldn't have controlled Misery that way. Sorry. Really. I mean-"

"Alright, yeah," Annabeth said. A little smile played around her lips. "Fine. I'm sorry too, seaweed brain."

"You didn't-"

"I started it," she cut him off. "My fault."

Percy gave her a little shy smile. She sighed and got back under the covers. "Close the door on your way out."

Percy left. He grinned, happy to be free of Annabeth's anger.

The last rays of sunlight were disappearing behind the hill. He looked back towards cabin thirteen.

_It doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter. _

Percy supposed there were a lot of things one could do while drunk. He remembered the stories his mom would tell him about drunk idiots from her high school when he scraped his knee or hit his head as a kid, just to make him laugh.

_It doesn't mean anything._

What bothered Percy more was that he _responded_. He had kissed Nico back, he had pulled him closer. He had been perfectly sober. Did that mean he was at fault as well? He briefly considered turning back and telling Annabeth. He shuddered to think of what she would say if he said he had taken advantage of a drunk Nico. Deciding not to take the risk, he told himself that it was a one time thing. Nico didn't even remember so it never happened.

_It doesn't matter. _

He turned and trudged off to his own cabin, immersed in his thoughts and remembering the sweet smell of pomegranate.


End file.
